Modular human-machine interface

Industrial HMI platform

A display, control and data acquisition platform built around an Arm® Cortex®-M7 microcontroller. A modular hardware and software base, designed for harsh industrial environments, that adapts to each application.

Designed and developed in France by EMBELEC.

Key points

  • Arm® Cortex®-M7 core

    Powerful, with a built-in hardware graphics accelerator

  • Touchscreen

    5, 7 or 10 inches. Capacitive panel in tempered glass, or resistive for use with gloves.

  • TouchGFX graphical interface

    Smooth animations and refined graphics, accelerated by the microcontroller’s hardware.

  • Industrial 12 / 24 VDC supply

    Reverse-polarity and transient overvoltage protection, replaceable rated fuse.

  • Full fieldbus connectivity

    Isolated 10/100 Ethernet, CAN bus, RS-485 and RS-232 links. Digital I/O, high-speed counting for incremental encoders, 4-20 mA and 0-10 V analogue.

  • Secure boot

    Cryptographically signed firmware, with integrity checked on every update.

Applications

  • Machine control and supervision panel

    Operating and monitoring machinery, in a cabinet, on a console or on an articulated arm.

  • Configuration and diagnostics terminal

    Setting up equipment, reading measurements, exporting logs to a USB stick.

  • Display embedded in existing equipment

    Compact panel-mount format that fits without reworking the host mechanics.

Specifications

Processing and display

Microcontroller
High-frequency Arm® Cortex®-M7, built-in hardware graphics accelerator
Operating system
Real-time OS (FreeRTOS or Eclipse ThreadX, formerly Azure RTOS), guaranteed timing determinism
Graphics library
TouchGFX, hardware-accelerated
Screen sizes
5, 7 or 10-inch touch panels Other screen sizes and shapes available
Touch technology
Capacitive in tempered glass Resistive for use with gloves

Power supply

Supply voltage
Industrial 12 / 24 VDC range Mains supply also possible
Protection
Reverse polarity, transient overvoltage
Fuse
Rated and replaceable

Network connectivity

Ethernet
10/100 Mbit/s, RJ45 with integrated magnetics Galvanic isolation
Protocols
TCP/IP, as both server and client IP address: DHCP or static address Encryption: TLS with server certificate verification
Fieldbus
CAN bus RS-485 and RS-232, isolated or protected
USB host port
Reading configuration files Writing logs Local software updates

Inputs and outputs

Digital I/O
Logic inputs and outputs Commands, indicators, basic safety
High-speed counting
Direct connection of incremental encoders Speed, positioning
Analogue
Industrial 4-20 mA and/or 0-10 V Pressure, temperature, level
Reinforced galvanic isolation
Optional, on analogue and counting I/O, for electrically noisy environments

Mechanical

Enclosure
Industrial, designed to withstand shock, vibration and dust
Front panel
Sealed, IP65 depending on mounting Built-in buttons and LEDs
Mounting
Panel, console or articulated arm

Cybersecurity

Cyber Resilience Act
Designed from the outset for compliance with the European regulation
Secure boot
Cryptographic signature No unauthorised code can be executed
Updates
Firmware integrity verified, via USB stick or encrypted Ethernet

What sets this platform apart

  • A base, not a fixed product

    Screen size, touch technology, I/O and reinforced isolation are all configuration choices. Developing new equipment means starting from a proven platform rather than a blank sheet — and the time saved shows up directly in time to market.

  • Built for the factory floor, not the office

    An enclosure that withstands shock, vibration and dust, a sealed front panel, a 12/24 VDC supply protected against reverse polarity and overvoltage, isolated serial links. The constraints of a factory environment are handled in the design, not worked around at installation.

  • An interface that does not look like an industrial screen

    The microcontroller’s graphics accelerator and the TouchGFX library deliver smooth animations and refined graphics on a microcontroller rather than an embedded computer. You get the responsiveness of a modern interface with the determinism and reliability of a real-time system.

  • Cybersecurity handled from the design stage

    Secure boot through cryptographic signature, integrity verified on every update: European cybersecurity requirements for connected industrial devices are addressed from the outset rather than bolted on afterwards.

The graphical interface

OperationRunningAUTO14:3272 %Buffer tankPumpHeat exchangerFlow12.4m³/hPressure3.2barTemperature68°C

Operation

The plant diagram, the state of every device and the current readings on a single screen. The operator sees what the machine is doing without having to read a number.

Trends14:321 h8 h24 hTemperatureFlow°Cm³/h80207015601050540006:3008:3010:3012:3014:3070 °C

Trends

The history of the readings, two quantities overlaid with a scale of their own. Enough to understand a drift rather than merely notice it.

Alarms14:32TimeEventState10:42High pressure — circuit 2Active10:41Flow out of toleranceActive09:58Communication lostAcknowledged09:12Temperature probe faultCleared2 active alarmsAcknowledge

Alarms

Time-stamped events, their severity and their state. The operator acknowledges what they have seen, and the record remains.

Mock-ups drawn to illustrate the kind of interface developed on this platform. They do not reproduce any customer project, and the values shown are fictitious.

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